PL IN DECEMBER - TO BE OR NOT TO BE

I've seen several discussions in online forums whether people do both a December Daily album and make Project Life documenting for December. What is your take on this? Do you do both, or just one? Which one?

I did both in 2015 and 2016. To me DD and PL have different story purposes. DD to me is a way to tell the stories of past Decembers, of family traditions and gettogethers. In PL I tell the story of everyday life, which happens in December as well as the rest of the year. 

Throughout the month I used digitals from Paislee Press (Mini Album kit, Merrier Word Art and a bunch of Pocket Guide templates) and One Little Bird (Wonder Journaling Cards). I also used Studio Calico's documenter kits Sonnet and Cypress Hill and dug into my stash of Christmasy papers and embellishments. Don't you love finding uses for older items?

Don't you love our Christmas outfits below? We went all out at work when the student council at our school announced the last Friday of the semester would be winter themed dressup day. I found my Snowwoman outfit at this place. They have so many fun costumes at a full range of prices. 

Me and hubs bought each other the same t-shirt for Christmas. Hilarious!

In every documenter kit I get one or more items that I'm not fond of. In this case it was the label transparencies. I usually make myself try to use the items anyway. I found that if I stapled the seethrough labels over printed journaling they looked like regular labels. It's still not a product I would purchase on it's own, but I enjoy the challenge of making things work for me.

Our son Dante is super duper crazy about babies, so when his baby cousin comes for a visit he's in heaven. Here he got to carry her for the first time and he was so proud! (Baby's face covered for privacy.)

And that is all for December. Right now I'm wrapping up our January pages. I'll be sharing them here tomorrow!

/Magdalena

JULY PL

When July begins it's time for me to start a new Project Life album. The plan was to do 12x12 for the second half of 2016. I put together four pages, and I hated how it looked. I went back and forth on wether to stick with it and eventually get used to the size again or, order a 9x12 instead and redo the pages. After starting a thread in the Studio Calico forum and recieveing the advice from someone that I should do what makes me happy - that's what crafting is for!- I decided that yes, I'm redoing the pages. I will from now on be sticking to 9x12. No more thoughts on going back to 12x12. The end!

This is the title page for the second album. The letter cards are from the SC Pool Party scrapbook kit, and the photos were taken at Skagen beach in Denmark.

I didn't want to leave the back of the page blank, but adding full size cards to the back of the letter cards would ruin the look of the title page, so I stuck letter cards to the back too, doing a "Summer" title page.

I've chosen not to share all my July pages, but here are some I picked out! This is a page about the Children's obstacle course event that our kids took part in. It's organized by the Swedish gladiators from TV and the proceeds go to the Children's Cancer research fund. The kids had so much fun "fighting" the real gladiators and we will definitely do this next year again. The colour photos are taken by a photographer at the event, and the black and whites are mine. Template and digi stamp by Paislee Press.

The next four pages are from our road trip to Denmark. You can read more about our vacation and see the mini album I made in my previous blog post.

Lots of One Little Bird and Paislee Press goodies in this spread!

And here is the last page for July I'll be sharing. The photo's are from a visit to the Furuvik zoo. The sweet little boy is a cousin. I love the photo of me and Nea on the park bench! She's not grumpy, just exhausted from walking all day in the heat. It was a great day that ended with us winning a box of twenty chocolate bars, another box of eight snack bags and a stuffed R2D2, see bottom right.

Now I'm waiting for my August kits to arrive so I can start in on my August pages.

/Magdalena

PL JUNE

With the June pages finished I'll be starting another PL album. I'm planning to do a 12x12 album for the second part of 2016. I've taken lots of photos this month so there is quite a bit of work left to wrap up June. Here are my first 5 pages of the month.

I'm loving the square cornerns of the documenter cards this month. So much easier to work with. I've lifted an old spread by Catherine Davies where she used punched circles to pull the page togther. I've lifted it many times before, I just love how it looks! Find the YEAH! digital stamp here.

While I have you here reading my blog I must really, really recommend the graphic novel series "Love & Key" by Joe Hill. It's a bit brutal but the story is really amazing for those that enjoy stories about the supernatural. It centres around a family that inherits a large, very old house filled with mysterious keys that unlocks anything you can imagine, including a great evil.

In this spread I used a mix of old and new cards to give it a summer feel. Instead of punched circles I did some messy date stamping to create cohesiveness.

I really love doing pages in all one colour! Here I pulled every red card I had and picked my favorites. This whole page is about a day spent with my collegues celebrating the last day of school. Summer vacation, whoohoo! (Faces blurred for privacy.)

Here is a mix of photos from our first week off. I stuck maintly to black & white plus bright yellow. Pineapple sunglasses FTW!

This week I have a challenge posted on the Studio Calico blog. Hop on over and see what it's about!

/Magdalena

ROUNDING UP MAY PL

I've wrapped up my May pages in our PL album. I've used a whole lot of Kellie Stamps digital brushes, old and brand new. First up is a page about a family day in Stockholm. For those of you that don't know Swedish geography we live about 100 km north of Stockholm. By train it takes us just short of an hour to get there. Usually we have some sort of cultural and educating activity planned when we go there (teacher moms, sigh), but this time was just for shopping and having lunch.

The "DID SOMEONE SAY ___________________" is so awesome! I love it! I see myself getting so much use of that one. All digital brushes on this page are from the June release and you can get them here. This month there are also TWO clear stamp sets and a sticker sheet in the release. Don't miss these!

I rarely record anything sporty because we're not a very sporty family, but in this page there's a whole lotta sports! The top two photo are from a 5 km run I participated in with my collegues. It's a race aimed at recruiting blood donors. I forgot my running shoes at home so had to run 5 km in my Chucks. But I did it! The bottom photos are of our daughter who started soccer practice. She has since quit soccer practice... We'll see if it is an interest she wants to pursuit again in the future. 

On my last page of the month I recorded the books I've read in May. You can find the book rating digi stamp here. I found this fun photo of Stephen King on Pinterest and kept the heart on his shirt red while changing the rest of the photo to black and white. I've read his Bazaar of Bad Dreams. It's an anthology of short stories. I liked the stories and the fact that he has written a short introduction to each story talking about how he came up with the idea for it. I've also read parts 5 and 6 in the Locke & Key series by Joe Hill. It is BRILLIANT! If you like horror and graphic novels you need to read it. So good! I got them from the library, but after I finished the series I ordered the set from an online book store. I know I'll be reading them again. My last book in May is "Kunskapens frukt" (The Fruit of Knowledge) by Liv Stromqvist. It's about the role female sexuality has played throughout history. It's presented in the form of a graphic novel. Very interesting and enlightening!As you see in the photo I'm currently reading The Fireman by Joe Hill but I haven't finished it yet. All books are added to my 2016 Reading Challenge Pinterest board.

Yesterday my June documenter kit from Studio Calico arrived so I can finally start in on my June pages. Looking forwards to it!

/Magdalena

WEEKEND RECAP

Spring is changing into summer and I am finding myself exhausted. May is such a busy month for teachers, wrapping up the year. In my last post I promised to post my NSD projects but I never ended up making any. I did spend the day sorting through my chaotic recipe folder. I designed a 4x6 card for printing and then hand writing the recipes. I used digital stamps to adapt the card to different categories - salads, bread, main courses, desserts, snacks and drinks. I'm still missing dividers and tabs, but I'm so glad to finally have this done!

This weekend has been cleaning, grocery shopping and doing laundry. I love when it's warm enough to be able to hang the laundry outside! I've been baking muffins with fresh rhubarbs from our garden and even taken some time to read. I've read more books so far this year, than I did in all of 2015. To follow my reading progress during 2016 visit my reading challenge Pinterest board.

Last weekend I also wrapped up our April PL,and started in on the May pages. I used Kellie Stamps May release "My fave" digital stamp set on my photos.

I hope you haven't missed that my new class "Pocket Page Design" is up at Big Picture Classes! I've put together seven lessons each with a video and several examples on how to use different design principles to tell your pocket page stories. 

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

/Magdalena

NSD

Today is National Scrapbook Day peeps! What challenges will you be taking part in? I'm waiting for Studio Calico to start posting their CT challenges. 7 am for SC is 1 pm for me. While I'm waiting I'll be working on this combined challenge by Kellie Stamps and Color Cast Designs.

I'll be updating my blog with my NSD projects, but while you wait I'll let you have a look at Kellie Stamps May release. Hurry to get yours! The special is only for today.

Happy NSD friends!

/Magdalena

APRIL PL AND A SNEAK

I've started in on my April pages for our Project Life album. Last month I managed to put together twelve (12!)pages, but April won't be nearly as many. I've only been able to share one of those pages, yesterday on my blog, because the rest of them I made for my upcoming "Pocket Page Design" class for Big Picture Classes. I had so much fun design the pages and the class, and I learnt a lot myself. I really hope you will check out my class when it arrives! I have no definite date yet, but I'll let you know as soon as I have.

If you'd like to make a set of donut coasters for yourself check out this pin.

And here is a sneak of Kellie Stamps May digital stamp release. I will be posting the full project on May 5th, which is also the release date for the new sets.

/Magdalena

DOCUMENTING YOUR READING

This year I've taken the time to read more books than I did last year. I like to document the books I read with short reviews included in my project life album. I also document our children's reading progress, which I'm sure they'll appreciate as adults.

All reading related digital brushes in these pages come from the digital Book Nerd set by Kellie Stamps.The "bookworm" plastic word is from a Studio Calico addon from last year. I had SO much trouble attaching it! I tried gluing it on three times. The third time I put a weight on top and it actually stuck to the page protector, but instead the "bo" broke off as I turned the page. Gah! I just gave up, ripped the rest of the word off and used my tape roller to attach it. So annoying people! Plastic words do not belong on the outside of page protectors...

Tomorrow I'll be sharing more of my April PL pages!

/Magdalena

TIME MANAGEMENT

I know that I have talked about this before, but I don't know how many of you that knows about it. In the late fall of 2011 I was diagnosed with stress related depression. Basically I was burnt out from too much everything. I'm sure many of you can relate to this. I have recieved therapy for this, payed for by my employer, which has helped none what so ever. I have also tried meds which has helped more. 

Recently I was recommended this book by a woman who holds a destressing class at our local doctor's office. I've only gotten as far as the first chapter, since each chapter has a set of homework that needs to be finished before taking the next step with the next chapter. 

The thing I've been working on so far, is to make decissions that help me destress in the long run rather than in the short term. When you are very stressed you make so many split second decissions that seems to be the easiest way out at the moment, but ends up adding to your stress in the long run. For example, saying yes to something because it relieves you of the stress of having to dissappoint someone, and then you end up stressing even more because in reality you can't or don't want to do what you said yes to. In the worst case scenario it leads to this person asking you again, because you said yes the first time, and you end up going through the whole situation multiple times.

Step one for me is to identify these situations where I make decissions that actually make things worse, and do the right thing next time. Sort of learning to go against your instincts (short term stress release). It's hard, but I already feel it working. 

So how does this relate to the subject of this blog- crafting? Obviously I have given my priorities a long hard thinkover. Is crafting stressing or destressing? And I have realised it's both. Is it worth the large portion of my time it takes up? Yes, it is! Am I willing to let something go to be able to craft? Yes, I am, and yes, I have. (The last time I sat down to watch a TV-show a certain time on a certain day was in 2008.)

My decissions for me as far as crafting goes is...
- I will stop putting preasure on myself to make layouts (something I've been doing a lot less of in the past year)
- I will quit a sub when I feel that it's putting preasure on me to make things just to use up the products
- I will not feel guilty when I don't finish something (goodbye old DD's!)
- I will not let anyone guilt trip me for making time for crafting while letting other things go
- I will not be making shit for free! If you want me to do something for you, you will pay me for my time and the products I use. 

I will be sticking with PL because I've never struggled to stay up to date. Layouts take much more work, and I will only make those when I feel like it. So here are a few more February pages from my album:

Don't you love the Sunday digi brush on the card above? It's part of a set from Kellie Stamps released this month. It includes the days of the week plus all the months of the year. I just love the design! Get it here! 

Take it easy people!

/Magdalena

VALENTINES DAY

I hope you had a lovely Valentines Day or, as we call it in Sweden, All Heart's Day. Our daughter had already decided she wanted a teddy bear this day, so ofcourse that is what she got. She wanted to come along with me shopping for gifts for the rest of the family, but she had injured her leg so unfortunately she wasn't able to go.The teddy bear she got cheered her up though. I got us each a lottery ticket, but as it turns out love does not win you any money. 

I had some diecuts left from a Studio Calico kit from last summer. They were sized for 3x3 pockets so I decided to give my first ever 3x3 pocket page a shot. I found it a little difficult to put it all together, but it turned out okay. The xoxo circle and the digital brushes are all int the Studio Calico digitalshop for the remainder of February so hurry to get them if you like them. The digi brushes was a favorite for me. I'll get much use out of those.

/Magdalena

BIRTHDAY INTERVIEW

Our son Dante just had his 8th birthday, and per tradition I document that by doing a birthday interview. This is the third year of doing this. I originally got the idea for this interview from a page that Barbara Picinich did with the Copper Mountain kit. 

I used a combination of SC kits and Ali Edwards' Story kits to put my page together. 

Here's the Q & A's translated to English:

Favorite colour: orange

Favorite toy: weaponry

Favorite TV-show: "Some Assembly Required"

Favorite movie: "Hotel Transylvania"

Favorite breakfast: PB & J

Favorite drink: Orange soda

Favorite food: pancakes

Favorite candy: chocolate bars

Favorite game: Disney Infinity

Favorite song: "Success" by Samir & Viktor

Favorite outfit: dark blue jeans, shirt and bowtie

Favorite holiday: Halloween

Best friend: Oskar Samuelsson

What I want to be when I grow up: a chef, a director and a musician

Tomorrow I'll be sharing the back of this page, which is for Valentines Day. See you then!

/Magdalena

2016 PROJECT LIFE

I went back and forth for the looongest time, on deciding the format for my 2016 PL album. I finally settled on 12x12 for the first half of the year. Then my Mint Hint Color Theory 9x12 album arrived in the mail and... well, have you seen it? It's gorgeous! I can't save it for fall as I had planned. So it's another 6 months of 9x12 for me.

I really liked that Studio Calico's Arendal kit had lots of cards for the new year. They put less and less seasonal cards in their kits, and I understand why, I really do. But I prefer the seasonal cards just the same. Since the cards were so lovely many of us used them on our intro page so I was thinking on how to personalize my page so I did some messy stitching on the 2016 card. I have also mixed in items from Ali Edwards' Heart story kit and a new years addon that came with the SC November kits. The colors of the three kits went together beautifully. On the back of this page I'm planning to add the goals I've set up for myself this year, but I haven't finished that page yet.

I find the color peach a bit creepy, but I like the design of the monthly 4x6 card we get with our SC kits, so I used it anyway. The two cards on the left are from the new years addon too. There are enough calendar cards to last me through the year, so I have decided to make them a monthly recurrency. I like the idea of picking a word to focus on each month, and for January I picked routine. After almost three weeks off from school and work we need to start over making up our daily routine. I wrote the dates by hand, and then marked out afew special dates with some vellum star stickers. The numbers are still visible through the vellum. Daily digital stamp from the "Circle it today and yesterday" digital stamp set by Kellie stamps.

After a sadly warm December, we've had a lovely cold and snowy January. The kids are so happy! There's an ice skating rink at our kids' school that we can use on our days off, just a short walk from home. And hot chocolate never tastes better than after spending a few hours outside in -23 degrees Celsius. Yum!

As you can see many of my embellishments are from past SC kits, and unfortunately I don't remember their names. I like using up my stash. Emptying a sticker sheet is very satisfying! I love phrase and words stickers for PL. The bottom card is from a printable TV and movie set by Hello Forever. I actually suggested this for a mini card kit so I was really happy to see it in the shop this month. If you are a BPC member you can see Marcy Penner using these cards in her Pocket Prompts class.

In the matter of just a few weeks three great men passed away. I feel they deserve a page all to themselves, so here it is. Again I'm paring up the Arendal kit and Ali's Heart story kit. 

Have you settled on a format for 2016 yet? And have you started in on the new year? I'd love to see your ideas for 2016!

/Magdalena